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Thursday, December 6, 2007

Crime Tours for the Voyeur in All of Us

Crime Tours for the Voyeur in All of Us

What better way to learn about a city than take a tour of its sordid past? Get up close and personal with local architecture, rock, politics, social commentary, and oh yeah... crime. Los Angeles' Esotouric skips Hollywood's usual celebrity fanfare and mansions and opts for the dark, gritty side of its history. Esotouric also delves into the social and political commentary of the time and explores the city from a victim's, and hysterical locals', point of view.

Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor

Best known for its focus on the famous The Black Dahlia case, it also exposes guests to stories of a husband who lets a rattlesnake bite his wife in hopes of collecting the insurance money, only to hire an outside source to drown her and finish the job. Also on the 2007 roster? James Elroy Digs LA, a tour that allows guests to accompany the author to parks where he stalked classmates, houses he broke into, and the history of 1950's murder cases that captivated him as a youth and feeds his passion for writing today.

Since its inception in 2005, the tours have become increasingly popular. And why not? With a current cultural climate of reality TV, slanted news, and media voyeurism, this idea can't fail. But more interesting to me than the tour itself or its statement about society today, is how it all came into fruition. Founder Kim Cooper started blogging in 2005 about crime scenes of each day from 1946. As her readership and contributors grew, she began offering tours of the chilling crimes and mysteries she blogged about. The site has an old-school newspaper type kind of feel that entices readers, making them feel like they're reading the latest scoop. Here's a clip from their site:

We're not your ordinary tour bus company.

Our routes veer off into fascinating, neglected neighborhoods. Our expert guides are passionate, brainy and hilarious. Our tour themes are provocative and complex, but never dry, mixing crime and social history, rock and roll and architecture, literature and film, fine art and urban studies into a simmering stew of original research and startling observations.

Even our snack stops are unique: a Chinese dumpling picnic in a garden of concrete sea monsters, homemade mint lemonade and cookies at the site of the first UFO sighting in the Southland, or Black Dahlia and Nicotine flavored gelato at Scoops in East Hollywood.

When you climb aboard for an Esotouric bus adventure, you're guaranteed an intelligent, unpredictable ride into the secret heart of the city we love. These tours are recommended for natives, tourists and anyone who likes to dig a little deeper and discover the world beyond the everyday. Come ride and see for yourself.

Tours run approximately $70 on up and gift certificates are even available for your twisted loved ones. For those who want to make crime tours part of their life, season passes can also be arranged. And who knows, maybe you'll even stumble upon a fresh crime scene that needs solving.

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